Sermon Central
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What If Tomorrow Doesn't Come
Contributed by Jimmy Giffin on Jul 19, 2004 (message contributor)
Summary: If you knew you were going to die, could you plead your case before God just as Hezekiah did?
WHAT IF TOMORROW DOESN’T COME?
Text: 2 Kings 20:1-5
King Hezekiah has just received some disturbing news.
He was sick, and is told by the man of God he was going to die.
These are words that none of us want to hear.
Hezekiah had been boasting about how powerful he was, and then Israel was attacked by Assyria and captured, then the Assyrians turn to Judah.
God had used Sennacherib to oppress Judah. (evil people)
But God had delivered them.
Now the King was sick unto death and begins pleading with God.
He had been told that he was not going to live, and he begins to plead his case.
The question for us is this, faced with the same pronouncement how would we begin our plea?
And how would we live with this question, What If Tomorrow Doesn’t Come?
I. Life Is Short.
A. We have no guarantee of tomorrow.
James 4:13-15 Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain:
Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor, that appears for a little time, and then vanishes away. For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.
B. We make plans with knowing if we will carry them out.
C. What if you knew tomorrow would not be yours?
II. Hezekiah’s First Plea
A. I have walked in truth before you.
2 Kings 20:3 I beseech thee, O LORD, remember now how I have walked before thee in truth…
B. Hezekiah’s record is found in 2 Kings 18
1. He did what was right in the sight of God.
2. He tried to handle Sennacherib in his own strength.
3. He turned Judah back to trusting God for deliverance.
C. Have we walked in truth before God?
1. Does our testimony match up with our lives?
2. Or have we embellished?
III. Hezekiah’s Second Plea
A. I have followed you with a perfect heart.
...and with a perfect heart….
B. Hezekiah had sinned, but he returned to God and followed.
C. How perfect is our heart? There are ways to know.
1. Our relationship with God.
2. Are we seeking after God.
3. Are we trusting God.
4. Are we pleasing God.
5. How we follow God.
D. Only the pure in heart will see God.
Matthew 5:8 Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.
IV. Hezekiah’s Final Plea
A. He Did Good in God’s Sight.
…and have done that which is good in thy sight.
B. Have we done good in God’s sight?
C. Not that “Good” saves you, but it keeps you.
Conclusion:
What if we receive the news that Hezekiah received?
Has our life to this point been sufficient to plead with God?
What if tomorrow doesn’t come?
Do we know that we are bound for Heaven?
1 John 1:7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanses us from all sin.
1 John 2:3 And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.
1 John 2:5 But whoso keeps his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.
Can we plead our case just as Hezekiah did?
